The present invention relates to a device, and in particular to a rail, for the positioning and locking of elements and a corresponding fitting, and in particular to a rail and an associated fitting, which make possible improved positioning of elements in, for example, an aircraft.
For fastening installations or elements in an aircraft, in aircraft, and in particular in aeroplanes, rail systems are used that make it possible to fasten, for example, seats to the floor of a passenger cabin and at the same time make it possible to vary the cabin configuration.
Rail configurations are known for the cabin region, in which rail configurations a rail with an elongated groove is provided, which at regular spacing comprises projections so that counterparts of fittings or of fastening elements can be inserted in the spaces of the projections. By being slid under the projections with subsequent locking, the fittings can be securely fastened. In the fastening elements or fittings, running surfaces or sliding surfaces are provided, on which the fastening element can slide in or on the rail in order to position the element to be installed before it is subsequently locked. Due to the small size of the sliding surfaces on the fittings, the reconfiguration characteristics of an installed seat in today's seat rail constructions are insufficient in that as a result of high point loads it is easily possible for damage to the rail surface to occur. Furthermore, locking in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the aircraft has hitherto been comparatively involved. Moreover, the use of lighter but also more brittle rail materials, for example for seat rails, in today's shape of the rails has a negative effect on the results of the dynamic seat tests.
Furthermore, rail arrangements from the region of the pilot seat configuration are known, in which the rail is essentially designed like a railway line with an enlarged head, wherein in a special region of the rail corresponding openings are provided so that precisely in this region fittings can be placed on the rail, by means of which fittings the pilot seat is then attached. In this arrangement the pilot seats, in contrast to cabin seats, are very often slid along the longitudinal axis of the aircraft, but without there being a possibility or requirement to be able to install or deinstall the seat at different positions of the rail. In other words, on a fastening rail for pilot seats there is only a single seat that can be placed in a fixed position on the seat rail and that can then be positioned on this seat rail in accordance with requirements. However, in a pilot seat rail the installation position of the seat is only in a single position on the entire rail so that the seat has to be brought precisely to this position in order to be able to be installed or deinstalled. This also takes place for reasons of safety so that while in the case of negligent locking the pilot seat can unintendedly slide, it cannot however become detached from the rail.